Rove: We Can Beat Hillary, Obama

President Bush’s former top adviser Karl Rove says that regardless of which Republican presidential candidate wins the nomination, the GOP can defeat leading Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

In an address to a group of state Republican executive directors at the Republican National Committee’s winter meeting on Wednesday, Rove outlined the approach Republicans should take in defeating Clinton or Obama.

Rove pointed out that while Hillary talks about fiscal responsibility, she has introduced “$800 billion in new spending and the campaign is less than half over.”

Clinton is also vulnerable because she wants to repeal all of Bush’s tax cuts, and can be described as opposed to “troop funding” because she voted against the Iraq war supplemental.

In his remarks reported by Roll Call newspaper, Rove said Republicans can cite Hillary and Bill Clinton’s refusal to release records from their time in the White House, which “raises legitimate questions about what she’s hiding.”

Rove said GOP attacks on Obama should focus on his lack of experience and accomplishments.

“He got elected three years ago, and he [has] spent almost the entire time running for president,” said Rove, adding that Obama has passed only one piece of legislation during his time in the U.S. Senate.

And he suggested Republicans could stress that neither Obama nor Clinton is prepared to protect the country from terrorists, Roll Call reported.

As for the Republican candidate, Rove said the nominee should “immediately engage” on “kitchen table issues” like education, jobs, the economy and healthcare.

President Bush’s former top adviser Karl Rove says that regardless of which Republican presidential candidate wins the nomination, the GOP can defeat leading Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.In an address to a group of state Republican executive directors at the...